The Kirklees Conservative leader said the council had spent £3.5m in the last two years on asylum costs, bringing the total in the area up to £6m since 1997.

Mr Light, who is the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Batley and Spen, said the spending level in Kirklees was the equivalent of 5% of council tax income.

He said: "Local people are paying a massive price for this crisis through their taxes.

"On top of the £6m, there are unseen costs locally, such as paying for asylum seekers' children to be educated.

"It remains Kirklees Conservatives group policy not to renew the council's asylum contract with the government."

A spokesman for Kirklees Council said that all costs for asylum were met by central government and there was no impact on council tax.

The spokesman said that, as of February 2004, there were 1,104 asylum seekers in Kirklees, including 12 families, who made up only 0.25% of the total population.

The spokesman added: "Asylum seekers and refugees will continue to be settled here, even if the council does not renew the contract and the authority will not be able to influence or monitor the situation."